Killing Season

by Faye Kellerman

  “I got it, Vicks.”

  Ro was pushing Ben out the door. “See you guys. Lock up!” She dragged him to her car. “Will you relax?”

  “That is out of the question.” They got into her Explorer and he pulled out a gun from a boot holster. It was only a little mouse gun, but it was better than nothing. Ro’s eyes went wide. He shrugged. “Just in case.”

  “You’re nuts.”

  He stowed the gun in her glove compartment. “Look, I know I’m being ridiculous, but it’s the way I’m wired, okay?” He took out his phone.

  “Vicks, c’mon!”

  “I just want to make sure that Haley’s keeping the line open.”

  When she answered, she said, “I’m still here.”

  “Keep the line open.”

  “I can’t if I’m talking to you.” She hung up.

  He didn’t feel right about leaving them, but as long as they toed the line—stayed inside the house with the doors locked—he supposed that they would last a few hours.

  That’s what Ben told himself over and over and over.

  Fifteen minutes into the hour, Haley put down her laptop. “How much longer is that damn truck going to beep?”

  Lilly looked up from her workbook. She furrowed her brow as she listened to the incessant wheep, wheep, wheep in a high-pitched range. “I hadn’t noticed it until you said something.”

  “How could you not notice it?”

  “I was concentrating.”

  “Well, bully for you.”

  Lilly forced her lips shut to prevent herself from saying something she’d later regret. It wasn’t that Haley was grumpy, it was that she was selectively grumpy. With Griff, she was all smiles. Lilly was a third wheel, again. She got up and went to the window. “It’s street repair. The truck is hauling away broken asphalt.”

  “So why is it beeping?”

  “It does that every time it backs up.”

  “Well, it’s driving me crazy! I hate studying to begin with and I’ve got four finals and a paper.” Haley regarded Lilly. “Did you do the English paper yet?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Of course you did. And I bet you already studied for finals?”

  Lilly sighed. “How can I help you, Haley?”

  “By not being so condescending. You and my brother are really a pair.” She stood up. “I’m going to the library.”

  Griffen said, “You know you can’t do that.”

  “Why? Because Ben said I can’t?” She made a face. “Who made him lord and protector?”

  “Haley—”

  “I understand where he’s coming from.” Her eyes got moist. “She was my sister too, you know. He acts like he’s the only one who’s suffered. Just because I’m not hunting around for some phantom killer doesn’t mean I don’t care or I’m inferior.”

  Lilly said, “Haley, he’s not trying to be superior, he’s just worried about your personal safety.”

  “He’s bossy.”

  Griffen said, “You know we’re not going anywhere. Put cotton in your ears or something.”

  “Let’s look at this logically,” Haley said. “The library is like ten blocks away. If we all go together and we all stay together, it’s probably even a better place to be because it’s public.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything to him about the library when he was here?” Griffen asked. “I promised him I’d look after you two.”

  “So look after us in the library. We’ll all stay in the same place at the same table.” Haley looked at Lilly. “You just said you can do work anywhere.”

  “It’s not a problem for me,” Lilly said. “But if he comes back and finds us gone, he’ll freak. Why don’t you call him up and tell him your plans.”

  “How about if we go to the library first and then I’ll call him up and tell him the change of plans? Because if I call him now, he’ll come rushing home and I don’t want to deal with him because he’ll be pissed. He’s always pissed. It’s hard being with someone so pissed off.”

  Tell me about it, Lilly thought.

  “With my mom being a zombie and my dad never around, things suck, okay? I know that Ben’s being protective, but you know he truly likes bossing me around.”

  “That’s not fair,” Lilly said.

  “Earth to Lilly. Ben is not God.”

  Lilly felt her face go hot. Griffen broke in. “Haley, let’s just stick with the plan, and when he comes back, we’ll all go to the library, okay? Let’s just take a break and—”

  “I have way too much work to take a break, okay?”

  “Jesus! Sorry!” Griffen threw up his hands. The truck continued to beep every time it backed up into the roadway.

  “I’m sick of Ben saying jump and we say how high. I’m going with or without you.”

  Lilly said, “Haley, you know that if you go, then we all have to go.”

  “So come with me. You know . . . like, strength in numbers.”

  Griffen said, “You’re not worried even though this guy has killed other girls?”

  “If it’s the guy Ben thinks it is—and there’s no proof of that yet—he killed in three other cities. It’s been three years. He’s not coming back here. It would be stupid.”

  Lilly said, “What about Ben’s slashed tires?”

  “It was probably a prank.”

  “Haley, no one slashes four tires for a prank.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t see why I have to rearrange my life just because Ben says so.”

  “Because it makes sense? Why are you picking now of all times to be rebellious?”

  “I’m not being rebellious.” Haley zeroed in on Lilly. “Ben is not my father and I’m not his child. Stop insulting me.”

  “Could everyone just chill?” Griffen said. “You’re just fighting because you’re tense. That’s normal—”

  “Stop psychoanalyzing me, Griff. It just makes me even angrier.” Haley was red-faced with moist eyes. She scooped up her books. “This guy has destroyed my family. I’m not letting him destroy me. I’ll see you all later.”

  Griffen picked up his laptop. “We’ll all go together.”

  “Fine, we’ll go together,” Lilly said. “You should call Ben and let him know.”

  “Later.”

  “Haley, stop acting stupid.”

  “Excuse me?” Haley glared at her. “I certainly know whose side you’re on.”

  “I’m not taking sides. This isn’t an election.”

  “I am so gone.”

  “Wait, wait.” Griffen took her arm. “Just wait, okay?”

  “Fine.”

  Haley tapped her foot until Griffen and Lilly had gathered up their belongings. Within minutes, they were out the door and on the street. The first day of summer had turned out to be spectacular. The sun was strong, the sky was a rich teal blue, and the air smelled of lavender and roses. The trio walked down the hillside, the mountains in the distance boasting an array of colors from deep greens to earthy rusts. Birds had roosted in the treetops and bees flitted from sage plant to sage plant.

  With the warmth on her face, Haley felt better. The trip to the library was an easy walk, and fifteen minutes later the group reached the building without incident. They found an empty table, sat down, and Haley settled in, taking out her laptop and her books. Griffen sat next to her and Lilly sat across the table from them.

  Lilly whispered, “Before you forget, you should text Ben and tell him where we are.”

  “You do it.”

  Such a baby, Lilly thought. “Fine, I’ll do it.” She texted him, then put her phone ringer on vibrate and slipped it in her purse. Finals would be over in ten days along with her first year of high school.

  How time flies.

  Chapter 11

  The lineup was in alphabetical order, which would have been great if Ben had actually been at the back. Instead, because he was salutatorian—a title akin to the country’s vice president and equally meaningful—he had to march in the front of the line, but behind JD. The
order of importance was not lost on JD’s ego and he ribbed Ben mercilessly.

  At the beginning of lineup, the boys’ VP made the announcement to turn off all cell phones, that anyone caught disobeying the edict would miss graduation—clearly an incentive for Ben to keep his phone on the loudest ring possible. Instead he played the semigood citizen and put his phone on vibrate and in his pants pocket, where he could check it at regular intervals.

  The rehearsal was clearly not going to be an hour. After thirty minutes, the faculty was still arranging the students. The sun was hot and everyone was sweating and fanning themselves with their hands. In the chaos, Ben sneaked a glance at his phone messages.

  The text message from Lilly set his heart racing.

  SHIT!

  He pulled out his phone. JD said, “What are you doing, Vicks? Put that away.”

  Ben heard his voice but not the words. He read Lilly’s message. “FUCK!”

  Heads turned in his direction.

  “What’s wrong?” JD said.

  The boys’ VP said, “Vicks, what are you doing? Put that phone away.”

  “I’ve gotta go, sir.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I . . . have to pick up my sister at the library.”

  “Can’t someone else do it?”

  “No! No one else can do it. I am the only one who can do it and I have to go now!”

  “Is she sick?”

  “No, she’s just very stupid.”

  “This is very poor timing on your part,” the veep told him. “You know if you miss rehearsal, you can’t attend graduation.”

  “With all due respect, sir, screw graduation.”

  He jogged away, trying to call Haley and trying to find Ro at the same time. “Answer the phone, you stupid idiot!” Her cell rang twice and then went to voice mail. At that point, Ben’s head got fuzzy. He didn’t know if it was heat or fear, but his knees buckled. He managed to catch himself before he hit the ground. Ro came over to him. “Ben, what’s wrong?”

  “I need your car keys!”

  “What?”

  “Haley went to the library. I can’t reach her. Give me your fucking keys!”

  “You’re in no state to drive—”

  Ben grabbed her purse and rooted through her belongings. She was pulling it back by a strap. “Vicks, you have to calm down.”

  “Don’t tell me that!” He yanked her purse away from her, catching her off balance. She stumbled back and fell to the ground on her butt. He pulled out the keys and tossed her back her purse. “I knew I should have stayed back.”

  He took off, but she ran after him.

  “Vicks, wait! Wait! . . .” A pause. “WAIT.”

  When he got to Ro’s car, the temptation was strong to just hop in and speed away. But she looked so pathetic, panting and wheezing. He threw open the passenger door and dove into the driver’s seat. He took off before she could fully close the door. “The kids went to the library.”

  “What? Why?”

  “’Cause they’re idiots. Call up your brother.”

  She already had her phone out. “It’s going to voice mail.”

  “I can’t believe how fucking stupid they are. Call up Lilly.”

  Ro went through the contact list until she found the number.

  “Voice mail.” Ben saw Ro wipe her eyes. She said, “He couldn’t have kidnapped all three. Goddamn them! How could they do this! How could they be so damn stupid!”

  Ben glanced at her. It was rare for Ro to swear. She was red-faced, sweating and crying at the same time. She was texting with shaking hands. By leaving with him, Ben knew she’d miss the graduation ceremony. She was as upset as he was and that made him get a grip. She said, “Should I call Shanks?”

  “Hold off. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

  “I’ll try my brother again.” Silence. “I’m going to kill him! I am sincerely going to kill him!”

  Every second was interminable. Finally, he pulled into the library lot, found a space, and jumped out of the driver’s seat. Ro was on his heels.

  Since the library wasn’t the proper place to start screaming out names, Ben’s eyes were in frantic search mode. The public reading room wasn’t all that big, and within a few moments, he saw Haley, sitting at a table, typing on her laptop.

  He didn’t know whether to kill her or hug her.

  Walking over, he scream-whispered, “What the fuck!” He glared at Griffen. “Is this what you call handling it?”

  “She stormed out of the house. I had about two seconds to decide and I thought it was better if we all went together rather than split up.”

  Ro hissed at him, “Why wasn’t your phone on?”

  “It was. I had it on vibrate—”

  “You didn’t answer it.”

  “I probably didn’t feel it.” Griff sighed. “Honestly, Ben, what should I have done? Tied her up?”

  “That would have been a great idea!”

  They were promptly shushed by the librarian, who told them to take it outside.

  Ben sat next to his sister. She was blushing, sweating, and had yet to speak. He lowered his voice. “Why did you do this to me, Haley? I know I can be a tyrant, but you gotta read the metamessage. I only wanted you to be safe. Now we’re both gonna miss graduation because I panicked and left rehearsal!”

  Her lower lip trembled and her eyes teared up. “I’m . . . sorry. I just wanted to get out of the house.”

  “You wanted to assert your independence because I’m bossy . . . which is fine any other day except today. You know you totally screwed me!”

  She was trying to hold back sobs. “The truck was beeping and I couldn’t concentrate and that house has so many bad memories sometimes!” She wiped her tears on her sleeve. “I’m sorry.”

  He sincerely wanted to strangle her. Instead he threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly. “It doesn’t matter. Just as long as you’re okay. That’s all I care about.”

  “I’m so sorry!”

  “Forget it.” To Ro, Ben said, “Go back to rehearsal and tell them I was stealing your car. Everyone saw me acting like a maniac. You’ll be fine.”

  Her eyes were wet as well. “It’s fine. I don’t even care anymore. I’ll drive everyone back. I’m just glad for a happy ending.”

  “Sorry, Griff,” Ben told him. “You did the right thing.”

  “No, I should have insisted—”

  “Let’s just get out of here. I feel like I’m gonna puke and I’d rather do it outside.” Ben got up and looked around. “Where’s Lilly?” The question was met with silence. Haley’s eyes went to Lilly’s purse and open laptop. A stack of books and papers sat next to the computer.

  Haley couldn’t speak. Griffen stammered out, “I was studying . . . I . . .”

  Instantly came the sinking feeling in the pit of Ben’s gut, just like when they got the phone call from his father three years ago.

  “Do you know where Ellen is?”

  Ro stammered out, “I’ll check out the bathroom.”

  “Yeah . . . phew! That’s it!” Haley hit her head. “She said she was going to the bathroom, that I should watch her purse.”

  Ben’s heart was racing. “How long has she been gone?”

  “A few minutes—”

  He caught up with Ro. Through the door, he heard her call Lilly’s name.

  “Is she there?”

  Silence.

  “Ro, is she—”

  “I hear you!” Ro threw open the door. “She’s not here!”

  “Oh God!” Panic set in once again. Ben ran back to Haley and grabbed her shoulders. “She’s not in the bathroom. How long has it been since she left?”

  When Haley couldn’t speak, Griffen said, “Maybe five minutes. I guess I shoulda gone with her.”

  Ya think? Ben said, “Just five minutes?”

  “Maybe a little longer. I wasn’t paying attention—”

  “Lilly!” He shouted her name out loud. Everyone turned ar
ound. “We have a lost girl. Lilly!”

  Everyone around them started yelling out her name, but after a minute it was crystal clear that she wasn’t in the building. The fact that her purse and computer were in the building meant only one thing in Ben’s mind.

  Ro’s voice was trembling. “He couldn’t have dragged her out the front door.”

  She was right. Unless there was an alternate escape route, Lilly had to be somewhere in the building. Ben backtracked to the bathroom, and to his horror found an unlocked emergency exit. When he opened it, there wasn’t a single chime or beep to let anyone know that the barrier had been breached. The exit led right to the library’s parking lot, where the light hit his eyes like a nuclear blast. After a moment to adjust, he scanned the asphalt, but no one was there. He didn’t recall exactly how many cars had been parked when he came in, but he distinctly remembered a white compact that was no longer there. There was an empty spot with a few drops of fluid where that white compact might have been. The liquid should have dried up very quickly in the direct sun. Ben figured that at most the car had been gone for less than ten minutes.

  Ro suddenly materialized, the other two kids on her heels. They appeared shell-shocked. “Gimme your keys,” Ben barked to her.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m looking for a white compact, a Toyota or a Honda.”

  “There must be a million white Toyota or Honda compacts.”

  He didn’t bother to answer, needing to marshal all his energy for the hunt. His mind was reeling like a movie in reverse. “It was four-door . . . not a Honda. It was a Hyundai . . . probably an Elantra.” Brain snapping to the present, his eyes scoured the lot until he found what he was looking for. He pointed to a video camera.

  “Ro, call up Shanks and meet him here at the library. You tell him what’s going on—”

  “I’m coming with you, dude.”

  Too frantic to argue, Ben said, “Okay, come with me. Griffen, you wait here for Shanks and show him that video camera. Tell him to put out an APB for a white Hyundai four-door compact that’s probably an Elantra. Tell him to call me if he finds the car or if he sees anything else on the tape. Even if he doesn’t see anything, tell him to look for that car.” He grabbed Ro’s hand. “Let’s go.”